I read bestselling romance author duo Christina Lauren for the first time this year. The Unhoneymooners is the third book I’ve read from them and my favorite so far. I previously discussed The Honey Don’t List as part of my March Quick Lit. Back in January, I read their second chance romance, Twice in a Blue Moon.
The Rundown
Olive is the unlucky twin – in her career, her living situations, and her love life. Her twin sister, Ami, seems to have gotten all the good fortune, even piecing together her dream wedding for free from all the contests and sweepstakes she’s won.
When the whole wedding party, except for Olive, comes down with an awful case of food poisoning, her luck just might be changing. Now Ami is insisting Olive take her all expenses paid nontransferable honeymoon to Hawaii! Olive jumps at the opportunity before realizing that the groom’s brother and her sworn enemy, Ethan, is going along too.
The pair decide to put their differences aside and make the best of their shared vacation. Once at the resort though, unlikely twists of fate force them to pretend to be newlyweds. Soon they find themselves wondering why they hated one another in the first place…
Rating and Review
Rating: 4 stars
Steam Level: 2
I listened to this book on audio and it was hilarious. At a certain point near the beginning, I just couldn’t turn it off! Olive’s antics were addicting.
I loved all of the family connections
Though Ami is her only sibling, Olive is part of a huge extended family through her mother’s side. I adored how close all of the cousins were as well as the aunts. When something was wrong, the whole family would show up in shifts with food and support. It was so sweet!
I also loved how close Olive and Ami were and how real their relationship felt. They didn’t always get along which was refreshing compared to some twin stories.
I’m not a fan of the way siblings who are complete opposites are sometimes pitted against one another either. The Unhoneymooners never made the sisters’ relationship feel like that.
They respected and appreciated their differences while also being able to call one another out. The way they fought, took space, and then worked things out felt very authentic.
The stakes were higher than I expected
While this book is hilarious with many physically comedic scenes, it deals with some very hard issues. The main characters wrestle with whether or not to share secrets with their loved ones that they know will hurt them.
The book also deals with a lot of sibling issues. One issue hints at the dynamic of the good sibling versus the bad. The story plays with how far a person will go to believe in their brother or sister and support them above everyone else.
The Unhoneymooners is told entirely from Olive’s perspective so the reader really gets to know her. It was powerful to be inside her head and see her process of self reflection. By the end she truly has grown, developed confidence, and come into her own.
Since we don’t get inside Ethan’s head, some of his decisions were hard for me to understand. There is one in particular that a lot of readers seemed to struggle with according to reviews on goodreads.
I had issues with that one too and it nearly ruined this promising hero for me. His behavior didn’t feel justifiable and I don’t think he had to grovel enough. The epilogue was still satisfying for me though, mostly due to Olive’s growth.
Nerdy references and slapstick humor!
I also loved the nerdy Harry Potter references in this book. I think there was even a Buffy reference too! The Unhoneymooners is the funniest Christina Lauren book I’ve read yet. Scenes like changing in the bathroom on the boat and the couple’s massage leave a lasting impression.
Have you read any books by Christina Lauren? Who are your favorite author duos?
